By Martie Thompson
editor@floridanewsline.com
Andy Moritz’s day job is as an attorney, but his first love was the theater. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Musical Theatre from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and after graduating, tried to be a professional actor. He had roles in “South Pacific” and “Guys and Dolls,” but also had to wait tables to make ends meet. In an effort to make a steadier income, he enrolled at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. After graduation, he practiced law in Los Angeles for 10 years before accepting a position as in-house counsel with Citigroup in Jacksonville in 2007. The Moritz family, which includes wife Juliana (also an attorney) and three children, made the trek cross country, landing in NW St. Johns County. “I liked the schools and the family atmosphere,” Andy said. All three of his children have since graduated from Creekside High School and the youngest, Brennan, followed in his father’s footsteps in theatre, taking on roles in performances such as “The Curious Savage,” “Once Upon a Mattress,” and “The Addams Family” at Creekside. Today, he is at Florida State University and will be appearing in “Funny Girl” at Theatre Tallahassee … at the same time his dad will be playing the role of Tevye in The Island Theatre’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof.”
Q: How did you meet your wife?
A: We were both lawyers at a firm in Los Angeles. She was actually assigned to be my mentor and we became friends first. We married in 1999.
Q: Have you always dabbled in theatre?
A: When the kids were young, I didn’t have time. I coached sports, including flag and tackle football and soccer. I did some singing, but that was it. In 2018, Brennan was with the Northeast Florida Conservatory in their production of “Newsies” and I got pulled in to play the part of the evil Joseph Pulitzer.
Q: How did you get the part of Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof?”
A: Brennan told me it was being staged locally. I’d always wanted to play this role as it’s in my wheelhouse vocally. I actually had to audition via video since at the time, I was back home in Iowa helping my 89-year-old father. (My hometown has a population of 500 and is two hours away from the nearest city, Des Moines.) Dad filmed my audition and I got the part. There are two different casts and my performances will be on Nov. 9, Nov. 15 and Nov. 17.
Q: What is it about this role that excites you?
A: It’s a role that carries the show. I like breaking down the fourth wall and interacting with the audience. It’s a preeminent role for a baritone and I don’t have to dance very much. It’s also a classic show and message: Tevye’s struggle between faith and the changing world is something we still experience today.
Q: Will you be able to see your son Brennan as he takes on the role of Nick Arnstein in “Funny Girl” at the same time as your production?
A: Yes, I plan to travel to Tallahassee to see his show. It’s interesting that we will both be performing at this time.
Q: What advice do you have for other parents?
A: I know everyone is big into athletics around here, and I was too. I played sports and coached sports. But I’d encourage kids to explore the arts and I’d encourage parents to keep an eye out for their kids who might be talented in performance.
[Editor’s Note: Visit www.theislandtheater.com for more information and to purchase tickets to “Fiddler on the Roof.”]
Photo courtesy Andy Moritz
Andy Moritz
